“That’s a bit science-fictionish,” said Farro-Jones. “But when we play around with DNA in test tubes, even with all the precautions we take, we’re really not a hundred percent sure what’s going on. That’s the nature of research by definition, I suppose. You’re constantly probing the unknown.”
“My God,” exclaimed Neef. ‘There would be no way of tracing something like that back to the guilty lab either I suppose?”
“No.”
“Do you really believe that could have happened?”
“The regulations are good but when you add in commercial pressures and ambition to the equation, you’ve got a dangerous cocktail.”
“I suppose,” said Neef. “Will you keep looking?”
“One more day,” said Farro-Jones. “Apart from anything else, we can’t take any more samples from Charles Morse. He’s on the final furlong, I’m afraid.”
“So I hear,” said Neef. “I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to look at Eddie Miller’s post-mortem records?”
“Not yet. We wasted so much time with the police and form filling this morning; I’m still trying to catch up on the day. I’ll get on to it as soon as I can.”
Neef put down the phone, rested his elbows on the desk and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them again, Eve was standing there. “I did knock,” she said. “Am I welcome or are you still trying to avoid me?”
“I was not trying to avoid you,” insisted Neef, getting up and coming round to meet Eve. He kissed her lightly. “I had to go out to a retiral dinner last night. It was a sort of last minute thing. I went in place of Frank MacSween. It was a nightmare and to compound things, the guest of honour took a header into a vat of formaldehyde this morning and killed himself.”
“You’re serious?” exclaimed Eve.
“Fraid so. I spent most of the morning with the police.”
“Why you?”
“I found him,” said Neef. “I went up there this morning to ask him about something he said last night.”
“How awful for you.”
Neef nodded and said, “It wasn’t very pleasant. Been to see Neil?”
Eve nodded. “He’s not very well today,” she said. “The nurse told me he was sick a lot last night.”
“I heard.”
“But he still wanted a story. Maxwell Gunn was at the docks today, saving Captain Cod’s fishing boat after it caught fire. Captain Cod was so grateful he gave Maxwell a big fish to take back to the fire station for his tea...” Eve looked away to the side and removed a tissue from her handbag. She held it briefly to her face before turning back to face Neef with an almost defiantly brave look.
Neef felt a lump come to his throat. “Maybe we could go home?” he suggested softly.
“That would be nice,” said Eve.
“You didn’t say what you thought of my story,” said Eve later as they lay together. Rain had just started to patter against the cottage windows and Dolly had paused at the bedroom door to look in on her way from the hall to the kitchen. She glanced disapprovingly at them before continuing.
“I thought it was good,” said Neef. “Factual and not too fanciful.”
“Praise from Caesar,” said Eve. “The paper liked it.”
“The national?”
“Yes. I think they might offer me a job on the staff.”
“What would that mean if they did?”
“Leaving the Citizen. Probably moving away.”
“I see. How soon?”
“They haven’t offered me one yet,” protested Eve. “I’ve only filed the one story.”
“But if they did?”
“Almost immediately but don’t worry. I wouldn’t consider going anywhere while Neil still needs me.”
Neef grunted and said, “I wasn’t going to tell you this but now I’m going to on the grounds that I can’t carry everything on my shoulders alone. Someone told me that not so long ago.”
Eve smiled and said, “Obviously, a lesson learned.”
“Max Pereira has come up with a new virus vector that he thinks might help Neil. Menogen has no chance of clearing it through the usual channels so the hospital is making an emergency application for a license to use it. It was lodged today.”
“Michael, that’s wonderful!” exclaimed Eve, sitting bolt upright.
Neef put a finger on her lips. “Not so fast,” he said. “It really is very late in the day for Neil. The odds are still stacked heavily against him... and us. Apart from that, the vector itself may not work. Four out of five didn’t work in the official trial.”
“But it worked for Thomas Downy,” said Eve.
“Yes, it did.”
“Why weren’t you going to tell me?”
“I didn’t want to see you hurt by raising your hopes and then seeing them dashed again if the therapy failed.”
“I’m glad you told me,” said Eve, putting her head back down on the pillow. “We should share everything where Neil is concerned. He means so much to both of us. Do you think you’ll get permission?”
“I don’t see why not,” replied Neef. “It’s just a question of how long it takes to come through.”
“I’m willing to bet that you feel better already for having told me that,” said Eve.
“You’re right,” said Neef. “I do.”
“Anything else you’d like to share with me while I’m here?” She pointed to her shoulder. “It’s not broad but it’s very absorbent.”
“Lots,” smiled Neef. “David didn’t find any sign of a new virus in the samples they were examining.”
“Does that mean that Max is in the clear?”
“I thought so but David brought up the possibility of a new kind of infectious particle that doesn’t show up under the microscope.”
“So the suspicion remains?”
“I’m afraid so but I’m reluctant to believe Max would deliberately do anything dangerous or irresponsible.”
“It’s difficult situation if Menogen can neither be cleared or convicted,” said Eve. “People will think no smoke without fire.”
“That’s why we’ve kept this to ourselves,” said Neef. “It wouldn’t be fair to Menogen to point out the geographical connection. People would jump to just that conclusion.”
“Is David going to continue with the search?”
“For one more day. It looks like they’re not going to come up with anything.”
“Anything else bothering you?”
“What is this?” said Neef with mock protest. “The Spanish Inquisition?”
“This is for your benefit,” insisted Eve. “I’m teaching you to share your troubles. It’s good for you.”
“I didn’t tell you why I went up to Uni College Hospital this morning.”
“No, you didn’t. Why?”
Neef told Eve about Eddie Miller’s retirement dinner and Miller’s assertion that he had seen an earlier case than Melanie Simpson.
“What?” exclaimed Eve. “But that would put a totally different complexion on everything.”
“It would,” agreed Neef.
“But he died before you could quiz him about it?”
“Right, but there was probably nothing to his story. I couldn’t get a name out of him and he seemed more interested in convincing me there was some kind of conspiracy against him. It was probably just the paranoid ramblings of an old drunk. David is checking Eddie’s records just in case there should be anything there.”
“Anything else you’d like to confess to?” asked Eve.
“I think you have got absolutely everything out of me,” said Neef.
“And don’t you feel better for it?”
“Actually, I think I do,” said Neef. “Do you have to go home tonight?”
“Not if you don’t want me to,” said Eve.
“I don’t.”
Max Pereira came into the Unit on the following afternoon and was delighted to see the improvement in Thomas Downy’s CT scan.